Display stand



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' DISPLAY STAND.

Application filed Iay 12, 1024. Serial No. 712,608. 1

To all whom it may concern Be it-known that 1, FRANCIS W. GIBSON,

a citizen of the United States, residing at West Roxbury, county ofS uifolk, Common- 5 wealth of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Display Stands, of which the following is a specification. l

This invention relates to display stands,

in and particularly to a collapsible display stand. In such stands, it is desirable that the maximum amount of goods consistent with accepted merchandizing practices shall not only be supported for convenient display' and access, but that the stand itself shall afford a maximum display surface for the display of advertising matter descriptive of the goods. Usually floor space is limited and hence any display stand must combine these requisites inaconstruction which will utilize 'only the minimum floor area. Experience has shown that the vertical type of display rack with superposed series of horizontal shelves is the type rack which most satisfactorily answers these requirements, and it is to this type of display rack that my present invention specifically relates. The ordinary display rack of this type, however, is usually a solid, rigidly- 39 connected structure and consequently not I only lacks that capacity for ex ansion' or contraction in respect to the shel units, but requires considerable shipping and storage space because of its fixed bulk.

To the end, therefore, of providing a dis play rack of this general type, but which maybe collapsed and nested and shipped as a flat. compact package, and conveniently assembled by the user in as many shelf units 40 as occasion requires, I have devisedmy present invention.

According to it, the end uprights for thesuperposed shelf 1 series consists of a pair of spaced substantially U-shaped members 46 which provide spaced vertical front andrear guides and supports for the shelf units, which may be furnished in any desired number within the height limits of the uprights and horizontal floor engaging portions connecting said shelf guide supports. The individual shelves of the shelf series are formed to slidably fit over the upper ends of said guide supports, soas to be capable of ready assembly and disassembly, provision being I made for limiting-the sliding trav l o 'th showing the stand set up for use.

turned front panel 9 which is disposed at shelves on said supports to insure proper spacenicnt of the shelves relative to each other when the display stand is assembled. The shelves themselves are constructed to provide longitudinal panels forthe display of advertising matter descriptive of the goods on sale, and these panels extend continuously across the front of the display stand soas to be readily legible by the prospective purchaser. y

The construction and method of assembling and collapsing my display stand, tog'ether with selected embodiment thereof which well illustrates the principles involved, is described and shown in the ac- 7 companying specification and drawings, and the characteristic features of novelty are particularly pointed out in the appended claims. Throughout the specification and drawings like reference characters are. em- 7 ployed to indicate corresponding parts, and a I in the drawings:

Fig. 1 isa perspective view of a display stand in accordancewith my invention and Fig. 2 is a similarview showing the stand collapsed for shipment, l

Fig. 3 is a development of one of the shelf blanksbefore it is bent to shelf form and Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4.4 of 35 Fig. 2. I

I have indicated at 1 a pairof duplicate supporting members constituting the end uprights of the display stand. These uprights maybe conveniently formed each of a round wire which is bent upon itself into substantially U-form to provide spaced front and rear vertically disposed shelf guide and supporting legs 2 and an intermediate horizontally disposed floor contacting foot 3 connecting said legs 2.

Slidable vertically on the guide supports 2 is a spaced superposed series of substantially bod-shaped shelves 4. Each shelf consists of a blank which isbeut upon itself along the longitudinal fold lines 5 and 8 to provide a vertical back panel 6, a downwardly inclined bottom panel 7,. and an upsubstantially right angles to the bottom panel 7 and against which the end walls of the boxes B on display are ada' ted to abut. The front panel 9 is again ent on the indicated fold line 10 to provide a substantially vertically disposed flange 11 which U0 constitutes a display surface adapted to bear advertising matter descriptive of the goods. The end edges of the panels 7 and 9 are notched as indicated at 12 and rolled upon themselves as indicated at 13 to eliminate sharp cutting edges. The end edges of the panels 6 and 11 are rolled upon themselves to provide tubular guides or bearmgs 14 adapted to slidably embrace the gui e supports 2 of the end upri hts 1, the upper ends of said bearings 14 eing preferably partially closed to limit the downward movement of the shelves on the uprights and thus insure proper spacement of the shelves in the series relative to each other.

The uprights 1 rigidly spaced by the bent connecting portion 3, when so connected by the webs or flanges 6 and 11 of the superimposed shelves, constitute a double braced frame for the shelves proper. The foot or base portions 3 in addition to their hearing and lower shelf stopping function, are rigid front-to-rear braces in the frame, while the flanges 6 and 11 of the shelves themselves combine to complete a quadrilateral frame front and rear, this giving great strength to thestructure when setup.

In collapsing the display stand, the individual shelves are slid upwardly along the guide supports 2, and when disconnected therefrom, are nested one upon the other as shown in Fig. 2.

Obviously, as many shelf units as are desired may be assembled upon the guide supports 2 and the spacement of these units may be varied, as desired. These and various other modifications in the form and arrangement of my stand may all be made within the spirit and scope of my invention as defined by the appended claims.

IVhat I therefore claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a collapsible display stand, a pair of detachable spaced U-shaped end uprights, of substantially the same size each comprising spaced substantially vertical front and rear shelf guide and supporting portions, and an intermediate substantially horizontal connecting floor-engaging portion, and a series of spaced superposed shelves slidably mounted on said end uprights, each shelf being bent upon itself at its end edges to provide tubular guides and also being downturned adjacent its front and rear edges whereby said guides may engage said uprights and means for limiting the downward sliding travel of the shelves on said end 11?- rights whereby to insure proper relative spacement of t e shelves in the series.

2. In a collapsible display stand, a pair of spaced end uprights, and a series of spaced superposed shelves slidably mounted on said end uprights, each shelf comprising a blank bent upon itself to provide a substantially bod-shaped article supporting portion and a pair of substantially vertically disposed panels at the front. and rear edges of said article supporting portion, said panels being bent upon themselves at their end edges to provide tubular'guides adapted to shdably embrace the end uprights and said guides being provided with means to limit the downward sliding travel of the shelves on said uprights whereby to insure proper relative spacement of the shelves in the series.

3. In a collapsible display stand, a pair of spaced U-shaped end uprights, each comprising spaced substantially vertical front and rear shelf guide and supporting portions and an intermediate substantially horizontal connecting floor-engaging portion, and a series of spaced superposed shelves slidably mounted on said end upri hts, each shelf comprising a blank longitudinally bent upon itself to provide a substantially bod-shaped article supporting portion and a pair of substantially vertically dis osed panels at the front and rear edges 0 said article supporting portion, said panels be ing bent upon themselves at their end edges to provide tubular guides adapted to slidably embrace the vertical guide portions of the end uprights, and said guides being provided with means to limit the downward sliding travel of the shelves on said end uprights whereby to insure proper relative spacement of the shelves in the series. 4. In a collapsible display stand, a pair of spaced end uprights, and a removable series of spaced superposed shelves slidably mounted on said uprights, each shelf being bent upon itself at its end edges to provide tubular guides, and also downturned adjacent itsfront and rear edges, whereby said guides may engage and rigidly connect said uprights, said shelves when disengaged from said uprights nesting flatly one within the other.

5. In a collapsible display stand, a pair of spaced end uprights, each comprising spaced substantially vertical front and rear shelf-guiding and supporting portions and an intermediate substantially horizontal floor-engaging portion connecting said front and rear shelf-guiding portions, and a removable series of spaced superposed shelves slidably mounted on said uprights, each shelf being bent upon itself at its end edges to provide tubular guides and also being downturned adjacent its front and rear edges .whereby said guides may engage and rigidly connect said uprights, said shelves when disengaged from said uprights nesting flatly one within the other.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

FRANCIS WINANS GIBSON. 

